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AZ-Sen: "Kyrsten Sinema has transformed herself from Little Orphan Annie into Cruella de Vil" [1]

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Date: 2023-04-21  

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I. AZ)

Yes, it’s The New York Post (gross) that this article in AZ Central is citing but it’s a great example of how U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I. AZ) sure does love to rake in that lobbyist campaign cash to live a pretty extravagant lifestyle. Plus, this commentary is spot on:

The New York Post in an article published on Thursday reported that during her time in the Senate, Sinema “has spent more than $100,000 ... on luxury hotels, private jets, limos and fine wine.” It’s almost as if, over the years, Sinema has transformed herself from Little Orphan Annie into Cruella de Vil. According to the Post, the senator spent $20,000 worth of campaign donations on wine since 2021. And $45,000 on chauffeurs. And $67,636 on private jets. And much more. There's even an $8,400 bill at the Boston Ritz Carlton when she ran in the Boston Marathon.

What EJ Montini’s article noted was that Sinema used her rags to riches backstory to help her get elected, painting herself as “Little Orphan Annie”. Montini did cite back to his piece that he wrote on Sinema’s upbringing:

She speaks of how, when she was a child, her family moved from Arizona to Florida and lived for a time in an abandoned gas station/grocery store with no running water or electricity. There is no argument about the abandoned gas station. They lived in one. But over the years there have been questions raised about the “amenities” that came with the tiny building. That is, if “amenities” is even remotely the right word. A few years back The Arizona Republic’s Rebekah Sanders did a lengthy profile of Sinema. In it, she spoke to the building’s owner Tom Paschal, who told her that the grim 800-square-foot building had a wood-burning stove and an outdoor water spigot. Sinema didn’t recall it that way. This week The New York Times did a very similar profile to the one produced by Sanders, in which the Times reporter wrote of court filings in which Sinema’s mother and stepfather list bills for electricity, gas and a phone. Meantime, those same parents provided a statement to Sinema’s campaign reading in part, “Kyrsten is right about this challenging time in our lives. After we married, we left Tucson with the anticipation of a job in Florida, which did not materialize. With no source of income, we lived in Andy’s parents’ closed country gas station without electricity, bathroom facilities or running water.”

And Sinema wasn’t living that wealthy lifestyle before she was elected to the Senate:

Sinema reported zero assets in her most recent financial disclosure filing and her student loan debt puts her net worth in negative figures. She lists between $15,001 and $50,000 in student loan debt, but does not report having a mortgage or car payment in her filing. Sinema’s education — a law degree and a Ph.D. — racked up most of her debt, and she didn’t chase big paychecks with her diplomas. Careers in social work and political organizing predate her time in Congress. She also served as a criminal defense attorney for a time and taught classes at Arizona State while pursuing the Ph.D.

I’m not saying that Sinema or any Senator shouldn’t be able to make a living but Sinema does teach a class about political fundraising:

ALL STUDENTS HOPE to learn from the top experts in their field. Graduate students at Arizona State University have an unusual opportunity this fall to do just that, where Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., is teaching a course on getting rich people to give you money. The course, titled “Developing Grants and Fundraising,” is one of two classes Sinema is teaching this fall at Arizona State University’s School of Social Work. The syllabus, which was obtained by The Intercept, says students will “learn diverse fundraising strategies” for nonprofits as well as “how to cultivate donors,” including “large individual donors,” by leveraging resources like “opportunistic fundraising,” “finding supporters for major fundraising events” — and, well, “asking for money.” The outline identifies “Key Course Concepts” such as “corporate giving,” “political strategy,” “influence,” and “power” as well as more socially conscious terms like “discrimination,” “oppression,” and “privilege.” One of the required books is “Fundraising for Social Change” — ironic in light of Sinema’s attempts to ensure things like corporate tax rates remain unchanged. A spokesperson for Sinema did not respond to a request for comment. Fundraising is a subject the Arizona senator knows a thing or two about, having raised eye-popping sums of money from groups opposed to President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better agenda. Sinema has racked up some $920,000 in campaign contributions from said groups, according to an analysis by Accountable.US, a watchdog group that monitors corporate lobbying.

And while she hasn’t officially announced her re-election bid but we know who’s funding her wealthy lifestyle:

x Kyrsten Sinema fought to protect the carried interest tax loophole—a favorite of her Wall Street donors.



When I get to the Senate, I’ll never give up my Arizona values. pic.twitter.com/BIGDzehYn3 — Ruben Gallego (@RubenGallego) April 21, 2023 Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema's campaign raised over $2.1 million in the first quarter of this year, with over half of that coming from donors who gave at least $3,300 -- the maximum per-election individual donation to a Senate campaign. More than 30% of the Democrat-turned-independent's haul this quarter came from employees of just five major companies, including hedge funds, investment groups and private equity firms. She received $287,000 from employees of Blackstone, the major investment firm, and its affiliates, as well as almost $196,000 from employees of the Carlyle Group and its affiliates, according to a NBC News analysis of her campaign finance filing. Sinema also received over $51,000 from employees of Elliott Advisors and their affiliates, over $71,000 from employees of Ryan LLC, and over $53,000 from employees of the firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and its subsidiaries. Sinema has been criticized in the past for her ties to Wall Street and the wealthy. Much of this critique has come from Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., who announced last year that he would run for the Democratic nomination to her Senate seat. In his first quarter filing, Gallego reported raising $3.7 million in his campaign account from January through March. In a release, Gallego touted his support from small dollar donors, raising 98% of his haul from donors who gave under $100.

And even if she does end up running again, all that money is just helping her become a spoiler candidate and throw the race to someone like crazy asshole:

U.S. Senate candidate Mark Lamb has attempted to boost his political profile by appearing on at least five shows hosted by QAnon conspiracy theorists. During one appearance, Lamb agreed with a QAnon supporter who said that there are “lawfare f--- who have just destroyed the law.” Lamb has been the Republican sheriff of Pinal County, Arizona, since 2017. He announced last week that he’s running for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate in the state. Media Matters has documented how the sheriff has frequently attempted to appeal to far-right audiences, including appearing on a network that attacks “seditious Jews” and “Jewish tyrants.” Lamb has engaged with numerous media personalities who have spread the violence-linked QAnon conspiracy theory. In one instance, QAnon influencer Jeffrey Pedersen said that Lamb signed a book with the QAnon slogan. The two later appeared in an August 2022 video together. The sheriff has associated with QAnon despite law enforcement agencies warning about violence from QAnon believers. His links to the conspiracy theory have included at least five appearances on shows hosted by QAnon influencers.

We need to make sure a real Democrat is elected to the U.S. Senate in Arizona. Click here to donate and get involved with Gallego’s campaign.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/4/21/2165148/-AZ-Sen-Kyrsten-Sinema-has-transformed-herself-from-Little-Orphan-Annie-into-Cruella-de-Vil

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